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Johnny’s senior talent Noriyuki Higashiyama told a popular TV show he thinks Koichi Domoto from KinKi Kids is the biggest perfectionist in Johnny’s, reports Techinsight Japan on July 21.

Higashiyama is currently 45-years-old, and is considered a perfectionist who has followed a strict training regime for the past 20 years. During a talk on TV show “しゃべくり007 (Shabekuri 007)”, it has been reported Higashiyama said he has kept his body-fat percentage below 10 per cent all these years because he exercises daily. This includes stretching and 1000 sit-ups every day.

Even so, when asked who he thought was the biggest perfectionist in Johnny’s, Higashiyama had said it would be Koichi, and that the KinKi Kids member was more dedicated to work than himself.

It has been reported Higashiyama said there was one time during the New Year’s Johnny’s concert when he went back to his dressing room thinking everything was alright, when Koichi came knocking at the door to ask him if the two could go through the songs one more time. Higashiyama also said Koichi’s “SHOCK” stage show was perfect, and admired Koichi for being able to “keep it up for four months on that show, usually your weight drops four or five kilos from doing a show for that long.”

Another Johnny’s talent who had been on the same TV show, TOKIO’s Masahiro Matsuoka also said Koichi was the most professional talent in Johnny’s, and the best junior to him.

It has been reported Koichi has been playing the main role in the stage show “SHOCK” for the past 13 years. It could be because he was given such an important role at the young age of 21 that he learned about responsibility more than others.

Johnny’s senior talent Noriyuki Higashiyama’s first go at dubbing an actor’s voice for a live action film will begin with Hollywood actor Matt Damon, it was revealed on April 4, reports Daily Sports Online.

The movie “We Bought A Zoo” will be released in Japan on June 8. It is a comedy about a family who buy a ruined zoo, and follows their efforts to bring the zoo back to life and open for the public.

“I hope audiences (in Japan) can watch this family adventure miracle, and let it remind them of that special person in their own lives,” Higashiyama said.

Higashiyama has been recognised as having a good voice, and has already narrated several documentaries in Japan and has done voice acting for Disney’s animated feature film “Brother Bear”. It is, however, the first time the Johnny’s talent has done the voice of a character in a live action film. It is also unusual for Johnny’s to let one of their talents become the voice of a Hollywood actor, but it has been reported they were impressed with the film’s story.

It has been reported recording had finished around late March. Higashiyama’s concentration surprised production staff as the talent pushed his way through eight-hour recording sessions for two days without stopping.

Like this:

The cast of “源氏物語 千年の謎 (Genji-monogatari Sen-nen no Nazu, The Tale of Genji: A One-thousand-year mystery)” congratulated Johnny’s senior talent Noriyuki Higashiyama, who became a father on November 4, during their movie’s event in Tokyo on November 7, reports Sports Hochi.

Higashiyama’s wife, actress Yoshino Kimura, gave birth to their baby daughter earlier this month. It has been reported Higashiyama was by her side at the time.

At the movie event, Higashiyama and the cast lined up on stage as they waited for the arrival of their movie’s lead character, played by Johnny’s talent Toma Ikuta. Ikuta appeared, from the ceiling, standing on a gondola that lowered him down onto stage.

“That was embarrassing,” Ikuta said before walking in front of Higashiyama to give him his personal congratulations.

“I want to take this opportunity to say congratulations! Coupled with the our movie’s birthday, now I’m doubly happy,” he said.

Movie director Yasuo Tsuruhashi also sent his congratulations to Higashiyama on behalf of the production team.

It has been reported the actresses in the movie had said Ikuta looked cool and beautiful at the same time while he was playing Hikaru Genji, a character described in the novel as the most handsome man in the world. Ikuta in turn talked about one of the challenges he had to overcome during filming as he played the world’s most sought after man.

“I was so nervous when we were shooting the scene where my character makes love to his mother-in-law, played by (Yoko) Maki-san. We finished filming around three in the morning, but part of me was still in character so one side of me was feeling really guilty for having done it, while the other side of me was still buzzing. I knew there was no way I would be able to go to sleep straight away if I went back to my hotel so I hung out with some of the production staff for a while before going home.”

Higashiyama, who had also played Hikaru Genji in a different production a number of years ago, said Ikuta’s Hikaru Genji was worth checking out.

“He’s very dirty, but in a good way. I think Toma is really good at getting women hooked onto him. I think he’s the best in our agency at expressing it too. No else but him could’ve done it!”

“源氏物語 千年の謎 (Genji-monogatari Sen-nen no Nazu, The Tale of Genji: A One-thousand-year mystery)” opens in Japan cinemas on December 10.

Johnny’s senior talent Noriyuki Higashiyama appeared in front of the press yesterday in Tokyo for the first time since news broke out his wife is pregnant, reports Asahi Shimbun and Daily Sports Online.

Higashiyama was promoting his upcoming film, “小川の辺 (Ogawa no Hotori)” and said he felt the movie’s family theme had a stronger meaning to him following the 3/11 Tohoku earthquake.

“I realised how special those little things you take for granted are, and I want to treasure them more for now on,” he said.

It has been reported the talent said he visited disaster areas in Miyagi and Iwate prefecture following 3/11 and was moved at how optimistic and bright the disaster victims were.

“It was an eye-opener, and I found feelings inside of me I never knew I had,” he said,

Higashiyama married actress Yoshino Kimura last October, and now the actress is five months pregnant with their first baby. Although the talent has not publicly commented about the pregnancy since it was first announced, he did smile as reporters asked him how he felt becoming a father.

Like this:

Johnny’s talents Toma Ikuta and Noriyuki Higashiyama showed off their woman characters in front of the press in Tokyo on February 2, reports Oricon.

The two are about to begin the season of their Mishima double stage show of Madame de Sade/わが友ヒットラー (Waga Tomo Hitler, My Friend Hitler), which starts today. The first play, Madame de Sade, is set in 18th century Paris where six women talk about their encounters with an imprisoned aristocrat, Marquis de Sade. The play had required both stars to dress as women.

It has been reported Ikuta had said he was comfortable with his female self.

“I think I look quite cute.”

The talent continued to say his role model was actress Yu Aoi.

“I’m trying to stay as natural, and bubbly cute as I can. (Aoi-san) had visited me during rehearsals and said I looked pretty,” he said.

Looking at his co-star Higashiyama, Ikuta could not help but compliment his agency’s senior.

“He’s cute. I don’t think I’ll be able to see my senior looking like this many times so I’ve burned this image into the back of my mind,” he said.

Higashiyama, however, was not so confident.

“I’ve gotten used to it, but it’s still embarrassing.”

When asked whether he had studied his woman habits from his wife, actress Yoshino Kimura, Higashiyama clearly denied these comments.

“I studied by myself. She’s my rival (in acting) afterall,” he said.

The talent also updated the press on preparations for his wedding.

“We’re still very, very busy so it’ll be a while away. I’ll keep you updated,” he said.

“Mishima Double” will start performances in Tokyo from February 2 to March 2 before moving onto Osaka.

This is what we have pasted below (the camera) and we read off it, but I’ve never thought it was too great so I thought I’d show you all how it’s done.

************************************************************

(Instructions at the top of the card)

★Higashiyama-san’s Christmas comments for JFC★

(I can’t read the top line clearly because the light’s reflecting off the card)

To those of you who have come to the Family Club, this is Noriyuki Higashiyama

* Please talk about your year and say hello to the fans

We also plan to use this for our Christmas videos and it will be available until the end of the year so please include a Christmas message.

************************************************************

So here, it’s got all of the information about what I’m doing now.

Plays. 2011. Yukio Mishima’s two play show of “Madame de Sade” and “My Friend Hitler”. I’ll be doing these with Toma! That’s from February 2nd to March 2nd at the Bunkamura Theater Cocoon, and from March 8th to the 20th at Osaka’s Theater BRAVA! This is…well, it’s a really challenging show. There’s definately some different elements of fun to look out for as we play both women and men. I think it would be fun to compare what you found entertaining in each play.

I wanted to bring Toma into this but he’s run off somewhere. I think he’s eating a sandwich or something.

Okay, moving on!

I’m also working with Toma in this next project, “Genjimonogatari”. I think this’ll be aired some time after autumn next year…or ‘released’ would be a more appropriate word I suppose?

As for my own movie, there’s “小川の辺 (Ogawa no Hotori)”. This’ll be released around summer 2011.

I only just finished the after recording yesterday. So all of the recording has finished and now it’s just a matter of waiting until the movie’s been put together.

There’s a scene where I do a sword fight with my character’s little sister タヅ (Tazu), played by Rinko Kikuchi. It’s a very in depth human drama story so I think you will be moved! I think it’s a samurai genre movie you don’t see these days so I hope as may of you can come and see it.

So to round things up. Everyone watching Johnny’s Net, I hope you have a fun Christmas! Merry Christmas!